Ah… You want me to do that?

Walton, open your mouth. You're making it awkward for people.

For a while, my head couldn’t think straight due to drunkenness that only kids would experience.

At the same time, one side of my temple started to throb.

A fragmented stream of memories from a past I had already erased began to resurface.

But because Tacey was watching, I held it in as best as I could.

Even so, she seemed to have noticed the subtle change in me.

She stopped tapping like something was bothering her and placed the spoon that was handed to me into the bowl.

Does it hurt a lot?

N-no, it's nothing like that.

Are you... uncomfortable with me doing this?

No. Rather... it’s not uncomfortable.

Her gaze that stared intently at me and her ambiguous expression made me feel oddly uneasy. It wasn’t that I disliked her. I just didn’t want to show her the side of me that misinterpreted her goodwill and reacted unpleasantly despite her kindness.

Then. Try opening your eyes.

She had been making strange requests for a while, so I felt troubled.

...Maybe it would be better to just close my eyes. Maintaining eye contact from this close distance felt like I was committing a great sin.

I was curious about her intentions, but for now, I shut my eyes.

Through the unfamiliar air blowing coolly past, I felt something warm touch my forehead.

Even though my body’s senses warned me that something unknown was approaching, I didn’t move a muscle.

That’s because I believed—no, I was certain—it was from Tacey.

Indeed. A slightly cold yet soft hand brushed my forehead.

While I lay there recovering from exhaustion, she carefully arranged my messy hair.

And she left a pleasant sensation on my forehead, cooling down my overheated body that was focused solely on recovery.

Her gently disappearing palm conveyed a calming sense of comfort.

Though it’s presumptuous to say so... the sweetness and the soothing lavender scent from her skin became even more pronounced.

...It’s my hand. Don’t be surprised.

Wow, I’m not surprised.

Liar.

I was actually surprised.

Why are you so surprised? Do you still not see me as your comrade?

It’s not that. I’m just not used to being treated like this...

Puhuhu, I see.

She chuckled while stroking my bangs like a kind lover.

With my eyes closed, it was hard to read her true intentions.

Still, it felt like her touch was sincere. Maybe it was just my imagination.

Right now, this moment feels like a dream. I hoped it would never end because it was so sweet.

Maybe I was being presumptuous, trying to push my emotional burden onto her just because she treated me kindly.

So I couldn’t open my eyes.

Apologies and gratitude coexisted. It was all too unfamiliar, her being kind to someone like me.

Feeling a bit calmer now?

...Thank you.

Forget what I said about you being cold-hearted. Even you have your moments.

Sorry for showing my weak side. Please don’t tell my master...

Hehe, don’t worry. I won’t tell. But. From now on, follow my words without question.

What... kind of words?

But my master is Henry. I can’t prioritize your orders over his.

Even though I’m giving you orders on his behalf?

What a predicament. In reality, I found myself valuing Tacey’s opinion more than Henry’s. Was she trying to win over a worthless slave like me?

...Understood.

No, wait!

Then first, accept the stew I made for you.

That’s all I want. Can you do that?

Even just a little, I felt ashamed of myself. I thought she might command me with something serious... but it was just to help me recover.

...Don’t tell me... You hate it? Then should I eat it?

No. It’s just... you’re too kind, and I lost my composure.

Huh!? Ahaha... Th-thank you. It’s only natural.

Tacey awkwardly smiled, scooped up the stew again, and handed it to me.

She was trying to feed me with more determination than before, and I had no idea how to react.

It was a situation I couldn’t ignore anymore, so I had no choice but to accept it.

How is it? Is it hot?

...It’s hot. Thank you.

Eh... If I had boiled it a bit more, it would’ve been tastier. Too bad I had to rush it.

I don’t know why she said it like it was my fault. Clearly, the strange one is Tacey.

No. It’s plenty good. I’ll make sure to...

No. Until it’s all gone. Don’t even think about leaving any.

But if someone else sees me like this...

So what if they do?

I’m a slave.

And I’m Tacey.

So don’t worry.

Maybe I was just delusional from a fever.

Otherwise, everything I was seeing and feeling didn’t make any sense.

In the end, I kept accepting bite after bite of the stew Tacey fed me until the wooden bowl was empty.

Though I was embarrassed and restless the whole time, it was also hard to hold back tears from the overwhelming kindness.

Today, swallowing food felt more painful than ever.

If someone as kind and gentle as Tacey were my master... I couldn’t help but fantasize.

Morning came.

My body had almost fully recovered.

But due to the beatings I took from the goblins, it still felt heavy.

It almost felt strange that I wasn’t dead.

I must have been a complete wreck, considering how shocked Tilia was when I first arrived.

Compared to that, the number of bandages around my body had noticeably decreased.

According to Guildmaster Narnas, it was amazing how fast I had recovered.

He added that maybe it was due to my inherent potential or strong willpower.

What was certain was—I no longer wanted to cause trouble for my master.

I tried my best to get up from my bed as quietly as I could. But for some reason, Henry and Jeok were looking at me oddly.

Jeok, whose temper was already sharp, looked even more displeased.

If it were Hyejeon, he would’ve considered me a burden he had no choice but to carry.

But now, it looked like he was planning when to toss me away.

It was like the gaze of children who wanted to dispose of an old yellowing toy as soon as possible.

There were plenty of reasons to think that way.

A slave who couldn’t even perform basic duties had no reason to stick around.

Useless for anything except manual labor, and not even clever enough to be handled easily.

Even I could see that there was little value in keeping someone like me around.

What would Henry think, as my master?

That’s why I had already made up my mind.

After the dreamlike memory of last night ended—I had mentally prepared to be abandoned in the arena.

So I wouldn’t collapse at the cruelty of reality.

Hey. Hurry up and follow.

Sorry.

What good is strength if you can’t use it when it counts?

I couldn’t argue with Jeok’s scolding.

Not just because I was a slave and shouldn’t argue—but because it sounded like he was holding me responsible for putting Tacey in danger when I failed to act.

So I couldn’t even lift my head.

Tacey, walking alongside Henry, turned her head and looked at me.

Her gaze held an unreadable expression.

It was almost a relief. If she’d shown sympathy, I might have leaned on her again and hoped for something I shouldn’t.

Let’s focus on completing today’s request.

Let’s not let my mind wander again.

I just need to shorten the path to the arena.

Right now, I’ll do my best in the role of a porter.

We’re here.

Ohhh... It really is a big cave. So now we go inside?

No. Fighting inside would be disadvantageous. Giant grizzlies have great vision in the dark. And we don’t have many escape routes.

Then how do we catch it? If we go inside...

It’s simple. Their sense of smell is sensitive, so we use pepper.

Ah~ So that’s why we stopped by the shop to buy all that pepper!

Exactly.

Tacey was learning about the giant grizzly’s habits from Henry with admiration.

Today’s target was the giant grizzly, so we had come to the outer forest.

Since we defeated the Goblin King, goblins probably wouldn’t show up for a while.

Recognized for our strength at the guild and with Tacey now joining us, our party was advancing toward higher levels.

In this situation, I had to think about what role I could play.

But even if I did, there was no conclusion.

I didn’t have as much knowledge as Henry, and I wasn’t strong enough to be a meat shield.

I didn’t have any special skills to offer, nor could I help by crafting pepper bombs.

I could only watch helplessly as they prepared their strategy.

Being close to a state of resignation, I didn’t even bother hoping for a way out.

Still, I learned from Tacey that the world was worth living in.

So at the very least, I didn’t curse the world and fall into despair.

Hey! It’s here!

Yeah. But...

Huh? Isn’t that bear running straight at us!?

Damn it! Get ready!

Wha—? I dropped it! Where is it!? What the—what is that!?

The beast’s roar echoed loudly.

Birds scattered into the sky. Trees screamed as they were crushed under its weight.

Chapter 13: 13. End of the Adventure.(3)

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